Adaptor for mounting light fixture, and the like



S. J. ZAGEL Oct. 19, 1965 ADAPTOR FOR MOUNTING LIGHT FIXTURE, AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 15, 1963 INVENTOR. QZQ/Yz/AQJZQGEL Eh/16 W W s. J. ZAGEL 3,213,273

ADAPTOR FOR MOUNTING LIGHT FIXTURE, AND THE LIKE Oct. 19, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 15, 1963 INVENTOR. 077M054 J Z4 6: z. B a Zmy/wflzfim/wr United States Patent 3,213,273 ADAPTGR FOR MOUNTING LIGHT FIXTURE, AND THE LIKE Samuel J. Zagel, Chicago, 111., assignor to Compco Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Apr. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 273,191 3 Claims. (Cl. 240-52) This invention relates to an adaptor for mounting a light fixture, or the like, and, more particularly, to a fitting advantageously employed with the mounting of fluorescent light fixtures on poles or arm brackets.

The invention finds utility in connection with service station and other outdoor lighting installations where relatively large fluorescent light fixtures are provided atop poles anchored in the ground so as to flood the area with light, or on arm brackets fastened to walls or posts. It will be appreciated that a substantial weight is cantileversupported on the poles or standards, and that this subjects the connection between the light fixture and the post to substantial stress. Usually, the poles are erected in relatively unobstructed places, and this means that wind loads bear against the fixtures. In the event of a failure of the connection between the light fixture and the pole, there is the chance that the entire fixture will fall, resulting necessarily in damage and possibly injury to the attendants, patrons, etc.

It is, therefore, a general object of this invention to provide a superior connection for a cantilever-supported member such as can be found in a service station lighting installation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a twopiece adaptor capable of positionably mounting a fixture, the adaptor in one embodiment being equipped with mating rosette faces.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a two-element adaptor wherein the elements are connected by a bolt which is uniquely stabilized by cooperating hub and recess means in the two elements.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an adaptor element equipped with a mating face and wherein the face includes a projecting hub centrally disposed therein for stabilizing the connection of the element with a cooperating member.

Other objects and advantages of the invention may be seen in the details of construction and operation set down in this specification.

The invention is explained in conjunction with an illustrative embodiment in the accompanying drawing, in which:'

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the inventive adaptor;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional View of the adaptor of FIG. I seen installed on a vertical standard which is shown only in fragmentary form;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of one of the upper elements of FIG. 1, i.e., the element adapted to carry the light fixture such as is seen in FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of a light fixture casting such as would be carried on the bottom face of the element shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view such as would be seen along the sight line 5-5 applied to FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a perspective elevational view of the lower element seen in FIG. 1 and in reduced scale;

FIG. 7 is a perspective elevational view of a light installation embodying the inventive adaptor and which depicts alternative positions of the light fixtures in dotted line;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of another form of installation embodying the inventive adaptor and wherein double lights are seen supported on a U bracket;

FIG. 9 is an elevational view in fragmentary form 3,213,273 Patented Oct. 19, 1965 showing yet another type of installation wherein a single cantilevered light is depicted secured to the inventive adaptor, which is seen in combination with a portion of a vertical standard, the light alternative positions being seen in dotted line; and

FIG, 10 is a fragmentary elevational View of a modified form of adaptor.

Referring first to FIG. 7, a typical environment for the invention is pictured in the form of a vertical standard generally designated 10 and which is seen mounted on a base plate 11 secured to the pavement (not shown) or other surface by means of bolts 12.

The upper end of the standard 10 is equipped with an adaptor generally designated 13 and which is seen in enlarged form in FIG. 1. The adaptor in turn is connected to light fixtures 14 and 15. The connective end 16 (see FIG. 4) of either of the fixtures 14 or 15 is equipped with a circular bearing face 17 which is adapted to mate with an upper cooperative face of the adaptor 13 such as is designated 18 in FIG. 1. For this purpose, both the faces 17 and 13 are equipped with a plurality of arcuate slots as at 19 and 26, respectively, which accommodate bolts 21. In the fixture illustrated in FIG. 4, the usual long lighting tubes are shown in dotted line and designated by the numeral 22. For example, the fixture seen in FIG. 4 may take the form of an end casting or may be the housing itself for the lighting tubes.

The face 27 is equipped with a central opening as at 23 (still referring to FIG. 4), which is adapted to receive an electrical wire 24 (see FIG. 1). Also, the faces 17 and 18 are equipped with cooperating hub and recess means about the centers thereof. In FIG. 1, it is seen that the face 18 is equipped with a central bore as at 25, about which is provided a projecting load-bearing hub 26. The arcuate slots 20 are arranged concentrically relative to the hub, and further the face 18 is equipped with a bearing portion of an annular nature as at 27. Correspondingly, the face 17 in FIG. 4 is seen to be equipped with an annular recess as at 28 surrounding the central opening 23, the arcuate slots 19 being concentric relative to the hub 28. Further, the face 17 is equipped with an annular bearing surface 29 engageable with the surface 27 designated in FIG. 1.

The face 18 is provided as the upper end portion of the upper adaptor element 30, and it will be seen by reference to FIG. 1 that an identical second element 30 is provided so as to develop the configuration seen in FIG. 7in FIG. 7, there are two fixtures mounted on the same pole, extending in opposite directions.

The upper adaptor element 30 can also be seen in FIGS. 3 and 5, where the hub 26 is again designated. The lower end of the adaptor element 30 (as disposed in FIG. 1) is seen to be equipped with a rosette face 31 (see FIGS. 3 and 5). The rosette face is circular in elevation as seen in FIG. 3, and includes an annular ring of teeth as at 32. The face 31 further includes an annular recess portion as at 33 providing a slot 34. The slot 34, as seen in FIG. 5, communicates with the central bore 25 so as to provide a channel for running the electrical Wire 24.

Positioned radially inwardly of the recess 33 is an upstanding circular rib 35 which defines a further and centrally-disposed recess 36. The recess 36, as pictured in FIG. 2, serves to receive the hub 37 provided as part of the lower adaptor element 33 (see FIG. 6). It will be seen from a consideration of FIGS. 2 and 5 that the recess 36 has a constricted continuation as at 39 which serves as a means for mounting a connecting bolt 40.

Specific reference to FIG. 2 reveals that the two upper adaptor elements are identical and carry the same numerical designations except that the left-hand element has each of the numerals carrying a prime. Thus, it is possible to dispense with one of the upper adaptor elements 30 or 30' and thereby develop the configuration seen in FIG. 9 wherein the standard is designated by the numeral 110, the lighting fixture by the numeral 114, and the adaptor by the numeral 113. The adaptor 113 includes a lower adaptor element 138 and a single upper adaptor element 130. By virtue of the cooperating rosette faces provided on the elements 138 and 130, the fixture 114 is positionable in various orientations, one alternative position being seen in FIG. 9 and shown in dotted line, eing designated by the numeral 114a. For this purpose, the lower adaptor element 38 (see FIG. 6) is equipped with a rosette face as at 41, the peripheral annular portion of the face 41 being equipped with a ring of teeth as at 42 (see also FIG. 2).

Radially inwardly of the tooth ring 42, the lower adaptor element 38 is equipped with a recess 43 (see also FIG. 6), and radially inwardly of the recess 43 there is provided the projecting hub 37. It will be seen that the rosette faces 41 and 41' are identical, so that an oppositely-extending hub 37' is provided (see FIG. 2). The element 38 is equipped with an axially extending bore as at 44, which accommodates the bolt 40, the bolt 40 being equipped at both ends in FIG. 2 with suitable nuts 45 and 45.

The lower portion of the adaptor element 38 is provided in the form of a cylindrical sleeve and designated 46 in FIGS. 1, 2 and 6. sleeve 46 receives the upper portion of the standard 10, the sleeve 46 being equipped with aligned bolt openings as at 47 for the receipt of a through-bolt 48 (pictured only in FIG. 2). The bolt 48 passes through aligned openings 49 in the standard and is suitably secured by means of nuts 50. Additionally, the cylindrical sleeve portion 46 is equipped with tapped openings as at 51 and 52 (see FIG. 1) for the receipt of setscrews, one of which is designated 53 in FIG. 2.

In the assembly of the elements pictured in FIG. 2, the

lower adaptor element 38 is mounted on the standard 10 and suitably anchored thereto by means of the bolt 48 and setscrews such as 53. The sleeve portion 46, at its upper end, is equipped with an axial bore as at 54 which serves as a wire-receiving passage for the electrical wire 24. The wire 24 then can be pulled through the arcuate slots 55 and 55' (see also FIG. 6) so as to pass through the slot 34 and thus enter the passage of the upper adaptor element 30. Hence, the wiring, in passing from the lower adaptor element 38 to the upper adaptor element 30, is positioned eccentrically relative to the axis of the mating rosette faces 31 and 41, while in passing from the upper adaptor element to the reflector 14, the wire 24 passes through the aligned axial openings 23 and 25. It will be seen from FIG. 5 that the upper element 30 is equipped with a raised rib portion as at 56.

In operation, it will be seen that the weight of the upper adaptor elements 30 and thus the lighting fixture 14 is carried by the lower adaptor element 38 and more precisely through the hub portion 37 thereof. This avoids utilizing just the teeth 32 and 42 for this purpose. These teeth may become stripped, whereupon the entire weight of the cantilevered fixture would have to be taken by the bolt 40, which is then subject to a tremendous shear stress. With the inventive construction, the only untoward result from stripping of the teeth 32 and 42 is a loss of the predetermined angular orientation of the fixture 14 relative to the ground. The weight of the fixture is still carried by the hub 37 and the change in position of the fixture can be readily noted and remedial steps taken without the possibility of damage or injury.

As a specific example of the invention, the lower adaptor element 38 is constructed of malleable iron or other suitable sturdy and strong metal alloy, and in the sleeve portion 46 thereof has an outside diameter of 3 /3 to provide an inside diameter of 3". The distance between the axis of the bolt opening 39 and the bottom of the sleeve portion 46 is 10% The rosette face 41 has a radius of 2 /2",

In the illustration given, the

with the tooth rings 32 being made up of 72 teeth, each tooth having a radial length of The hubs 37 and 37 are provided in the generally frusto-conical configuration best seen in FIG. 2, being portions of a right circular cone. The diameter of the frusto-conical hub 37 at its outermost point is 1%", while at the base the diameter is 1%". With a height of the conical hub 37 of the order of this provides a slope less than about 10 and a height-tobase ratio of less than about one-third. It will be appreciated that the mating recess 36 in the, upper adaptor element 30 is correspondingly contoured, as can be appreciated from FIG. 2, and that the tooth ring 32 is identical with the tooth ring 42.

The provision of the hub 37 and the mating recess 36 not only protects against the complete disassembly of the adaptor parts should the teeth become stripped, but further, in the event of any partial shifting of the upper adaptor 30 relative to the lower adaptor element 38, protects the electrical wire passing through the slots 55 and 34, thus guarding against possible rupture of the wire 24. In like fashion, the same advantage accrues through the cooperation of the hub 26 and the recess 28 (see FIGS. 1 and 4). It will be seen from FIG. 1 that an access opening 57' is provided in the element 30' for the purpose of establishing electrical connections therein, the opening 57 being suitably closed by a cover plate 58-here, it will be appreciated that a corresponding structure is provided on the upper adaptor element 30 but which is not visible in FIG. 1.

As mentioned previously, it is advantageous under some circumstances to utilize only one upper adaptor element, in combination with the lower adaptor element, as is the case in FIG. 9 relative to the elements and 138. A slightly different arrangement utilizing the same principle is seen in FIG. 8, wherein the standard is designated by the numeral 220 and is seen to be equipped with spaced-apart lower adaptor elements 238 and 238'. These in turn cooperate with upper adaptor elements 230 and 230' to support the fixtures 214 and 214'.

Advantageously, the elements 30 and 38 may be provided in the form of cast malleable iron, wherein the various openings are cored. This necessarily results in some tolerance in the teeth rings 32 and 42, making especially advantageous the provision of the hub and recess 37 and 36, respectively.

In FIG. 10, a portion of a standard 310 is seen to be positioned withinthe lower adaptor 338as in the showing in FIG. 2. The upper adaptor 330 is connected in a fashion analogous to that shown in FIG. 9, but the upper end of the upper adaptor 330 is equipped with a cylindrical portion as at 330a receiving the pipe mounting 317 of the light fixture 314. The pipe mounting 317 is secured within the upper adaptor 330 by means of a bolt as at 321, while the other end of the pipe mounting 317 is secured to the light fixture by means of bolts 321a. In this instance, the advantageous load-bearing hub characteristic of the previously-described modifications is present only at the interconnection between the upper and lower adaptors 330 and 338, respectively.

The outwardly-facing load-bearing hub 26 (see FIG. 1) carries the weight of the lighting fixture 14, 15, 114 or 214, as the case may be, through the interengagement thereof with the recess section 28, the interrelationship between the hub 26 and the recess 28 corresponding to the relationship of the hub 37 and the recess 36 of the lower connection as pictured in FIG. 2. In this fashion, the weight of the cantilevered load is supported on the cooperating hub and recess rather than on the interconnecting bolts, the bolts only being used to hold the mating faces together.

It will be appreciated that the construction seen in FIG. 6 may be used for either the double or single cantilevered light fixtures as seen in FIGS. 7 and 9, respectively. The double arm adaptors have the bolt 40 (see FIG. 2) threaded at each end which is mounted through the central opening 44. The bolt 40 is held in immovable relation with the lower adaptor element 38 by means of spring pins 40a (see FIG. 2) to prevent the threaded bolt from turning when the nuts 45 are tightened or loosened. This permits either arm of the adaptor to be individually adjustable, independently of the other. This further eliminates the possibility of one arm falling or turning down while the other is being adjusted for elevation.

On the single arm adaptor (see FIG. 9), this type of fastening and the bolt threaded on each end is not necessary. It is, however, advantageous to use the standard hexagon head or square head threaded bolt to immobilize the same when the single horizontal arm is adjusted for elevation.

While, in the foregoing specification, a detailed description of an embodiment of the invention has been set down for the purpose of explanation thereof, many variations in the details herein given may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An outdoor light fixture, comprising a vertical standard, a first element having upper and lower ends and equipped with a sleeve at its lower end for mounting the same on said standard, said first element including a rosette face at its upper end for positionably engaging a second element, a second element having upper and lower ends and equipped with a rosette face at its lower end engaging the first element rosette face, said second element including a bearing surface at its upper end for supporting a fixture, said bearing surface being arranged generally perpendicularly to said second element rosette face, a bolt extending through the center of the rosette faces securing the same in engaged relation, alignable wire-passage slots in said rosette faces communicating with said sleeve and said bearing surface, said first element rosette face being equipped with a tapered projecting bearing hub in the center thereof, said second element rosette face including a central recess in which said hub is received in bearing relation, a light fixture casting secured to said second element bearing face, and electrical wire means extending from said standard through said second element bearing face and coupled to said light fixture casting.

2. An outdoor light fixture, comprising a vertical standard, a first element having upper and lower ends and equipped with a sleeve at its lower end in mounting engagement with said standard, said element including a pair of rosette faces at its upper end for positionably engaging a pair of second elements, a pair of second elements secured to said first element, each second element having upper and lower ends and equipped with a rosette face at its lower end engaging the first element rosette face, said second element including a bearing surface at its upper end for supporting a fixture, said bearing surface being arranged generally perpendicularly to said second element rosette face, a bolt extending through the centers of the rosette faces securing the first and second elements in engaged relation, alignable wire-passage slots in said rosette faces communicating with said sleeve and said bearing surfaces, said first element rosette faces each being equipped with a tapered projecting hearing hub in the center thereof, the rosette faces of said second element each including a central bearing recess in which the hub of said first element is received in bearing relation, a light fixture casting secured to each second element bearing face, and electrical wire means extending from said standard through each of said second elements and coupled to said light fixture castings.

3. An outdoor light fixture, comprising a vertical standard, a first element having upper and lower ends and equipped with a sleeve at its lower end for mounting the same on said standard, said first element including a rosette face at its upper end for positionably engaging a second element, a second element having upper and lower ends and equipped with a rosette face at its lower end engaging the first element rosette face, said second element including a bearing surface at its upper end for support ing a fixture, said bearing surface being arranged generally perpendicularly to said second element rosette face, a bolt extending through the center of the rosette faces securing the same in engaged relation, alignable wirepassage slots in said rosette faces communicating with said sleeve and said bearing surface, said first element rosette face being equipped with a tapered projecting bearing hub in the center thereof, said second element rosette face including a central recess in which said hub is received in bearing relation, said hub being a frustum of a right circular cone having a height-to-base ratio of less than about one-third and a slope of about 10, a light fixture casting secured to said second element hearing face, and electrical wire means extending from said standard through said second element bearing face and coupled to said light fixture casting.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 633,333 9/99 Beall 287-54 2,134,288 10/38 McCann 287-101 2,410,088 '10/46 Lundquist 287-101 2,795,690 6/57 Cooper 24052 X 2,850,622 9/58 Johnson 24081 3,093,321 6/63 Christy 240--25 3,104,064 9/63 Bellek 24052 X NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN OUTDOOR LIGHT FIXTURE, COMPRISING A VERTICAL STANDARD, A FIRST ELEMENT HAVING UPPER AND LOWER ENDS AND EQUIPPED WITH A SLEEVE AT ITS LOWER END FOR MOUNTING THE SAME ON SID STANDARD, SAID FIRST ELEMENT INCLUDING A ROSETTE FACE AT ITS UPPER END FOR POSITIONABLY ENGAGING A SECOND ELEMENT, A SECOND ELEMENT HAVING UPPER AND LOWER ENDS AND EQUIPPED WITH A ROSETTE FACE AT ITS LOWER END ENGAGING THE FIRST ELEMENT ROSETTE FACE, SAID SECOND ELEMENT INCLUDING A BEARING SURFACE AT ITS UPPER END FOR SUPPORTING A FIXTURE, SAID BEARING SURFACE BEING ARRANGED GENERALLY PERPENDICULARLY TO SAID SECOND ELEMENT ROSETTE FACE, A BOLT EXTENDING THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE ROSETTE FACES SECURING THE SAME IN ENGAGED RELATION, ALIGNABLE WIRE-PASSAGE SLOTS IN SAID ROSETTE FACES COMMUNCATING WITH SAID SLEEVE AND SAID BEARING SURFACE, SAID FIRST ELEMENT ROSETTE FACE BEING EQUIPPED WITH A TAPERED PROJECTING BEARING HUB IN THE CENTER THEREOF, SAID SECOND ELEMENT ROSETTE FACE INCLUDING A CENTRAL RECESS IN WHICH SAID HUB IS RECEIVED IN BERING RELATION, A LIGHT FIXTURE CASTING SECURED TO SAID SECOND ELEMENT BEARING FACE, AND ELECTRICAL WIRE MEANS EXTENDING FROM SID STANDARD THROUGH SAID SECOND ELEMENT BEARING FACE AND COUPLED TO SAID LIGHT FIXTURE CASTING. 